ryanov wrote:I believe the S shuttle train is slightly more direct when making such a move.

During many times of day, you'll be moving far more slowly on a bus.

Actually the 7 is slightly more direct, depending on where you arrive in Grand Central.

On the GCT end, the Shuttle platforms stretch between Madison and Vanderbilt Ave's, under 42nd St. You enter from the southwest corner of the main concourse. At the Times Square end, the platforms are on a curve from 42nd to 43rd, and end just short of Broadway. It's ~250 foot walk from there to the 1/2/3 platforms under 7th Ave.

The best entrance to the 7, on the other hand, is from the southeast corner of the concourse. It's a level below the 4/5/6 platforms on Lexington Ave. At the Times Square end, the 7 is directly below the 1/2/3 platforms, on the alignment of 41st St.

In my experience the 7 also tends to be less crowded between GCT and Times Square, and it runs with standard 10 car trains, rather than the 3 car trains of the shuttle.

The bus would probably be slower than walking at most times of a weekday.

I agree with you and I did descend to the #7 Train at the Southeast corner of the concourse, an entrance I was familiar with from my days of living in New York. I always preferred the #7 to the S to get from GCT to Times Square and the subway connections there. However the advisory Amtrak provided does recommend the S.

My experience with the shuttle bus that Amtrak used to provide was always on Saturdays and it made good time between NYP and GCT. It also made dealing with luggage much easier.

Why does Amtrak need to do its "line up and wait" boarding procedures for Empire Service (and other Grand Central-based) trains?

I took the Ethan Allen Express from Grand Central, and an Amtrak staff member blocked people from boarding and kept yelling at people to direct them to a specific car based on where they were going.

I figure that Amtrak wants to seat people by destination so that they can be shepherded off the train easily. I also figure that Amtrak wants to be sure that blocks of seats are available for people getting on at various stations down the line.

Why doesn't Amtrak just consider that its passengers are usually adults, and let people be responsible for following station announcements and getting off at the right station? And if a large bock of seats is needed for groups getting on at stations down the line, just have those seats be at the other end of the train from where people are boarding at Grand Central and block the seats off with a sign or something. Then let people board at Grand Central when they want, and without being herded around and yelled at.

Amtrak just always seems to make boarding at large stations as miserable as possible, and there are better ways.

SouthernRailway wrote:Why does Amtrak need to do its "line up and wait" boarding procedures for Empire Service (and other Grand Central-based) trains?

I took the Ethan Allen Express from Grand Central, and an Amtrak staff member blocked people from boarding and kept yelling at people to direct them to a specific car based on where they were going.

I figure that Amtrak wants to seat people by destination so that they can be shepherded off the train easily. I also figure that Amtrak wants to be sure that blocks of seats are available for people getting on at various stations down the line.

Why doesn't Amtrak just consider that its passengers are usually adults, and let people be responsible for following station announcements and getting off at the right station? And if a large bock of seats is needed for groups getting on at stations down the line, just have those seats be at the other end of the train from where people are boarding at Grand Central and block the seats off with a sign or something. Then let people board at Grand Central when they want, and without being herded around and yelled at.

Amtrak just always seems to make boarding at large stations as miserable as possible, and there are better ways.